St. Patrick’s Day in the Rockies

Posted on 02/25/17

Trade in the emerald isles this Saint Patrick’s Day for ski slopes. Colorado mountain towns know how to throw down a party and this holiday is unlike any other. With the luck of the Irish, it will dump snow and you can start the day taking powder turns. Just be sure to get out of your snow gear and into green garments when dancing the jig. Although tempting, you may not want to Riverdance in your ski boots.

Summit County, Colorado is home to a number of Irish pubs that take pride in hosting Paddy’s day parties – complete with Irish car-bombs and Jameson specials. In Breckenridge you can hop from Napper Tandy’s to Burke and Riley’s. Located at the south end of Main Street, Burke and Riley’s Irish Pub has a long standing tradition of opening early to serve tall pints of Guinness with breakfast. You can enjoy corned beef and cabbage or their fish and chips while listening to bagpipe music and classic Celtic songs. There may even be Irish step dancers. The north side of town, at the corner of Lincoln and Ridge Streets, is Napper Tandy’s, who also have drink and food specials for Saint Patrick’s Day. This ‘pub that parties like a club’ will host dancing all night long.

Near Keystone Ski Resort is the Cala Pub and Restaurant. Their fish and chips and homemade wedge fries are absolutely amazing and go down well with Irish beer. The worst part about this pub is having to decide between their shepherds pie or the steak and Guinness pie. For dessert, try the bread pudding in Baileys. These hearty meals are sure to satisfy the appetite you built up skiing and the authentic Irish theme of the Cala is ideal for Saint Paddy’s Day. It is a favorite of locals and visitors alike.

The festivities continue if you follow the rainbow, or I-70, west to the Vail Valley. Finnegan’s Wake is notorious for hosting shelighlay stomping Irish bands on Saint Patrick’s Day. Paddy’s, of course, will be celebrating as well. With Irish music in the background, glammed out in green patrons enjoy the corned beef cabbage and Irish lamb stew. No meal or Paddy’s Day for that matter, is complete without the green beer.